Life's What You Make It
by LornaCat
Summary: When Edie met Dave. Set during the 5 year gap, but in this alt version they find a way to open up to each other and avoid moving back to Fairview.
1. Chapter 1

_She's gorgeous. Beyond confident. What is she doing here? She gets what she wants. But never what she needs._

Dave performed his well practiced routine. Look left. Look right. Find someone in the center of the audience and maintain eye contact. Make them feel like this presentation was written just for them. He chose the blonde in the front row, a true bombshell. Like so many others in the room, she was mesmerized.

_He talks a lot. But it's interesting. I hate myself. I hate those bitches even more. I'm going to get through this. Just listen to what he says._

Edie stared at Dave, feeling hope for the first time in ages. She wasn't worthless; that's what his speech was telling her. His calm, confident voice had her like a helpless fish on a hook. He didn't have index cards or a laptop, just his own thoughts and philosophies on leading a better life. She was so wrapped up in finding a way to save herself, the thought of giving him the sex eyes hadn't even occurred to her.

_She's gorgeous. I like her. I don't want to be alone tonight. She looks like the sexual type. No no no, what would Lila think?_

To Dave, Edie looked completely lost. He didn't want to take advantage, but then again...he did. Something about her was pulling him in, giving him unexpected desires. He'd been checking her out, and he hadn't even felt guilty about it. That was new to him.

_Is he staring at me? He's staring at me. He wants me. They all want me, always. But only for that one thing. He can't help it, I won't let it affect my view of him as a motivational speaker. I'd totally do him. Maybe in another life..._

When she moved away from Fairview, Edie went through a period of self-imposed abstinence. No bars, no clubs, no alcohol, no hookups, no sex of any kind. At least not with a partner. Men had been her weakness and her downfall, and the reason other women hated her. She was learning now, because of Dave, that it didn't matter what other people thought. If she could just learn to love and treasure herself, the respect of others would follow.

_Ten more minutes left of my speech. She's going to get in line for an autograph. I'll get to talk to her then. She's going to tell me how great my speech was. I'm a sham. No, don't say that. You're helping people. You can still help yourself._

Dave didn't have to look at his watch. He knew his act that well. He didn't leave time for a question and answer session. He would simply ask his audience to reflect privately on what they learned. Ask your neighbor, he'd say. Learn from each other.

_Oh no, he's wrapping it up! I'm not ready for him to go yet. I could sit here for hours just listening to him talk. I'm pathetic. I used to have all the answers. When did I lose the power to make myself happy? I'm going to get it back. Just listen to him speak._

Edie made sure she was the first one to applaud when Dave was done. He smiled and nodded at his audience. She was watching him the entire time, so she aware of every time he looked at her. She wondered if he really was interested, or if it was just part of his presentation to make intense eye contact.

* * *

_Every autograph I sign is a lie. I'm miserable. I'm halfway to crazy. I daydream about murder and suicide. At least I'm helping others while I fall apart. It can't all be lies if I'm helping people._

Dave switched off the neuroses when he saw Edie approaching the table. She cradled his book in her arms like it was a baby. He could tell she was a special case. Someone broken. Someone worth saving.

_This man is a genius. I can't believe how blind I've been. I'm going to tell him how he changed my life. His eyes are amazing. He was right. My bad attitude was causing all of the problems in my life. I'm going to be nicer to people. That will make them nicer to me._

"Who can I make it out to?"

Dave smiled at Edie, and looked up at her with eyes as hard and bright as diamonds. Edie felt like he could see inside of her.

"Edie Britt." she said, enunciating clearly. "Two t's."

"Edie Britt." Dave repeated, so he could memorize it, and to make her feel important. Edie watched him personalize her autograph, and she started a speech of her own.

"Mr. Williams, I just wanted to let you know that your presentation really moved me. I've decided to make some changes in my life, and it's all because of you. You opened my eyes to the truth. So thank you."

Dave stopped writing, and looked her in the eye while he spoke. "Well thank you very much, Edie. That means a lot to me. I'm glad I could help." He smiled again, and closed her copy of his book. "But please," he said as he handed it back to her. "Call me Dave."

Edie smiled back at him, taking the book from his hands.

On the title page Dave had written a phone number and the address of a hotel. Edie's smile faltered, and her shiny new view on life blurred like a Monet.

_It's a proposition. That's all he wants. That's all they ever want. I'm a piece of meat to them. Everything he said was for show. I'm going to throw this book in the trash while he watches._

Dave saw the confusion in her face. She didn't understand.

"I'm doing a private seminar this afternoon." Dave explained. "It's full, but if you show up early I'll have them squeeze you in. Just call that number and tell them you're on the list."

So it wasn't his phone number, and it wasn't his address. Edie gulped. She knew she had to make a decision. Let go of her anger and pessimism, or wallow in it forever. She was at the end of her rope. She didn't want to feel desperate anymore. So she decided to trust him.

"Thank you." she said. Her own words made her smile. "I'll be there."


	2. Chapter 2

_She came. She's gorgeous. I can't believe how much I want her. I think I need her. I need to be with her tonight._

Edie sat in the back this time. She felt exposed and vulnerable. She needed distance between herself and Dave, to make sure she listened to what he said, and to make sure he wasn't just staring at her cleavage.

_I can't believe I wore a turtle neck. That will teach him to flirt with me. I can't handle any more one night stands. I need to know if he's for real. I need him to tell me that _I'm_ real._

Dave hid his nervous fears so well. No one in the room would have guessed the dark secrets he hid inside. Somewhere inside of him a voice was screaming. He wouldn't let it out, He wouldn't even acknowledge its existence. It was screaming for his wife and child.

_What's wrong with these people? Can't they see what a hypocrite I am? I can't wait to talk to her again. But what would Lila think?_

He knew everyone by name, having memorized them all at the book signing. He was able to greet each and every one of their questions with a smile and a personalized comment. It was all so friendly. When Edie raised her hand, Dave's gaze came to rest on her, and she felt the intensity right away.

_What is he thinking? Why does it feel different when he's looking at me? Why can't I tell the difference between love and lust? I think he wants me._

"Hello, Edie. What's your question?"

"Can you tell us how you got over your own anger? I mean, personally?"

"Personally?" Dave repeated, buying time to think about his answer.

He traveled from town to town, giving presentations about letting go of anger and living a life free of unneccessary stress. He preached about dealing with all the things he couldn't deal with. The more he ignored his own problems, the bigger they became. The thoughts of revenge had become daydreams, and the daydreams were slowly turning into plans. Personally, he'd never overcome his own anger. He'd just learned to ignore it. Of course, he couldn't tell them that. He couldn't let Edie down.

"I took it one day at a time, Edie. One person at a time. One thought at a time. I thought about the consequences of each of my actions, and I realized I can control the impulses that made me lash out at people. By taking the time to understand the people around you, you not only help yourself but you help them too. With compassion. And once I found out how fulfilling that was, how good it felt to help others while I healed myself, well, then it was easy." Dave broke eye contact with Edie so he could look at the others in the room. "And who doesn't like easy?" he added with a practiced chuckle.

_It wasn't a lie. I didn't lie to her. I need to be with her tonight._

The attendees were all invited to a mixer that night. Edie arrived in a cocktail dress and ordered a glass of water from the bartender. She wasn't there five minutes before Dave was by her side, offering her a real drink.

_I wish I hadn't messed things up in Fairview. I could be having so much fun right now. Instead I'm an insecure mess. Where did my life go?_

"Hello, Edie."

Edie turned, meeting those icy blue eyes. He was smiling at her, so friendly. She'd gotten used to the idea of being attractive to him, but she was still afraid of being attracted to him.

_I'm closer than ever before. She's still gorgeous. But she's so sad. I want to fix her. I wish I could fix myself._

"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked her.

Edie held up her ice water, smiling in response.

"No, thank you. I'm fine with this."

"Would you mind chatting a while?"

"Not at all. Though I do have to ask: do you take this much of an interest in all of your fans?"

"I don't." Dave admitted. He was still smiling. He held her gaze, his eyes locked on Edie's. It was like he was reading her, analyzing all of her actions and words.

_A year ago, we'd be in bed already. I hope he doesn't just want me for sex. I want him for more. Is he worth the effort? Am I worth the effort? What did Wisteria Lane do to me?_

Edie sipped her water through a small straw. She tried to ignore the familiar feelings rising up, the feelings that came whenever a man started to flirt with her. Those men could always sense that she was a woman that enjoyed sex.

"You must be special." Dave explained cryptically.

"Oh really?" said Edie. Her sarcasm didn't ruin her smile.

_That wasn't a line. Except, it was. I can get whatever I want. I have the power of persuasion. I don't want to use her. I don't want to hurt her. I just want to be with her._

"Well," said Dave. "That private seminar usually costs $1000. I let you in for free."

"That doesn't mean you like me, Dave. You don't even know me."

"I'd like to know you."

"Or do you just want to sleep with me?"

"I'm not going to lie to you, Edie. The thought had occurred to me."

Dave grinned, and Edie chuckled. He'd been caught, but she couldn't blame him. Even if she felt destroyed on the inside, she still looked amazing on the outside. She hadn't forgotten how to achieve a beautiful facade.

"But," he continued. "I understand if you're hesitant. You're here for guidance, not for sex. And I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

_He gets me. He could help me. Wanting sex isn't wrong. Jealousy ruined my life. He's cute up close. I could see myself in bed with him._

"I bet you're used to getting everything you want." Edie said, her coquettish side coming out.

"What makes you say that?" asked Dave. He shifted his weight and leaned on the bar. It was a subtle way to get closer to her. He was in her space now.

"You know how to talk to people. How to make them feel comfortable."

_So she feels comfortable around me._

"I'm glad you feel that way." said Dave. Still smiling.

"You're glad?" said Edie. She still couldn't trust him. "You seem glad about everything."

"It's hard not to be, around you."

Edie put her water down and picked up her purse.

_Time to go._

"I don't want a one night stand." she said flatly.

Dave moved closer, stopping her in her tracks.

"I think you do." he said. "I think you want to prove something to yourself. That you can still have a one night stand and be proud of it. Someone told you that what you were doing was wrong, but it's not wrong Edie. Striving for happiness is all we can really do. So do what makes you happy. What makes you happy, Edie?"

_Nothing. Nothing makes me happy anymore. That's why I'm at a hotel, paying to see a motivational speaker, drinking water instead of a pink martini._

His eyes were so intense. Edie didn't have an answer for him.

"I don't know." said Edie. Her voice was soft and quiet.

"Yes you do." said Dave. He refused to give up on her. "Tell me."

Edie thought about it, and asked herself what she missed most.

"Being in control?"

"You're always in control, Edie. Don't you see? Whether you say yes or no to me, you're making the choice. You're still in control."

"And what about when you leave me? I can't control that."

"That's true. But you can control the way you feel about it."

Dave reached out to take Edie's hand. It was a friendly gesture. It made her feel supported instead of attacked. It told her he cared about her as a person, and that he wouldn't be angry if she walked away.

"And maybe I'm the one that doesn't leave."

_This is wrong. I'm not stable. Neither is she. What am I doing? I haven't wanted a woman in so long. I'll be good to her, I promise._

"You do get everything you want. Don't you?" asked Edie.

"Yes." said Dave. His smile was sympathetic, like he'd known from the start she was going to say yes.

_Damn him. He's good. I want him now. This could be good. He could be right. I'm in control._

Dave squeezed Edie's hand, and she squeezed back. It was worth a try.


	3. Chapter 3

Edie took Dave back to her hotel room. Her room, her rules. Dave assured her she could kick him out at any time. Edie told him there was no backing out now. Not now that she had him.

The sex was good. They were an even match. It had been a very long time for both of them, and it felt good to get the frustration out. Edie told herself not to expect anything but an orgasm. Expecting more was bad for the heart. To her surprise, after they'd both achieved a climax, he stayed. They laid next to each other, naked and staring at the ceiling, enjoying the quiet as they caught their breath.

_How could this be wrong?_

_I can't believe I just had sex with a woman that's not my wife._

_I've still got it._

_I've still got it._

Dave was the first to speak.

"Did you have good time?"

Edie turned her head. She found him smiling at her, that calm, friendly smile. There was a sexiness to it now. He'd seen her naked.

"I did." said Edie. "Thank you."

Edie didn't ask the same. She didn't have to.

"Do you regret it at all?" he asked.

Edie sighed, and looked back up at the ceiling.

"Not yet."

Her pessimism was disappointing, for both of them. Dave gazed at her, feeling a desire and a need to understand her. Not just in the superficial way. Dave had read her easily; he understood pain. But he could never know her real story until she told it herself, in her own words.

"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" Dave asked.

Edie chuckled.

"I've answered all of them so far." she reminded him.

"I know." Dave said, his smile deepening into one of gratitude. "What brought you here? Why did you come to my seminar?"

Edie shrugged and answered easily. "To feel better."

"That's not an answer." said Dave. His honesty was gentle. "I want to know what made you feel bad in the first place. What made you unhappy?"

Edie turned to look at Dave again, patronizing him with a wry look.

"That's a long story." she said.

"I'm here, Edie." he said in his calm, steady voice. "Take all the time you need."

It took her a moment to gather her thoughts. When she finally decided where to start - at the beginning - she started talking, and talking, and talking. Edie poured her heart out to Dave. He listened and took all of it in without comment or judgement. It was when Edie started to talk about Travers that something changed.

Before that moment, Dave thought he was protected. He thought his heart had been made inpenetrable. When he looked into Edie's eyes, he realized he was feeling again. When a single tear rolled down Edie's cheek, Dave realized he was having feelings for a woman that was not his late wife. It scared him. It made him feel guilty. At the very same time, it made him feel alive again. It made him feel real.

"So, they told me they were done with me." Edie went on, almost to the end. "That I was no longer wanted. The four of them, like they owned the entire street. Like I was the only one dealing the shit. They never once mentioned any of the shit they put me through. One of them burned my house down, did I mention that?"

Edie laughed. Her tears had dried four stories ago, and she was amused by her outpouring of emotion. She felt so much better now. She was sitting up in bed, resting her head on the backboard, the sheet around her waist.

"Well." she said. "Now you know everything. And I mean _everything_. Hell, I've told you things not even my preist knows." Edie laughed again. She turned to Dave, hoping he could share in the humor. She'd never felt more naked than under his gaze.

Dave had lived a good life. He'd had a good family. In a few horrifying moments it had all been ripped away from him, but Edie had endured a lifetime of disappointment and heartache. No one had taken the time to understand her, or to listen, until now.

"Do you know how beautiful you are?" he asked her. He was sitting up next to her, as serious as can be. "I don't just mean on the outside. You know you're beautiful outside. But inside, Edie. You're so beautiful. So strong."

"I guess I am." said Edie. She smiled a little smile, not sure why Dave looked so beside himself. "Now are you going to tell me your life story too, or is that another seminar?"

"I didn't understand it until now." said Dave.

"Understand what?"

"My life. I've been lying for years, to everyone, telling them I've found the key to happiness. All of my presentations and seminars are lies, because I don't even follow my own advice."

"But they help people." said Edie. "_You_ help people." She turned in bed, curious now. Where was all of this coming from, all of a sudden? "You helped _me_."

Dave felt like he was about to fall apart. Usually when that happened he would try to get away. He'd escape to somewhere private, where he could be alone and tell himself that nothing was wrong. He was finally ready to admit that something was wrong. It was finally okay to ask for help.

He stared at the bed covers that draped the lower halves of their bodies. The blue eyes that had been so clear and commanding were now clouded and confused.

"Dave...?" Edie said his name quietly. "What's wrong?"

He looked up at her, and she saw his eyes were wet with tears. Edie felt her eyebrows rise. Without thinking, she reached out to take Dave's hand.

"Tell me." she said softly.


	4. Chapter 4

Dave woke up the next morning with Edie in his arms. She'd held him for hours during the night. After telling her about Lila and Paige, he'd laid his head in her lap and cried. Now she knew his horrible secret. Except, now that he'd finally told someone about it, Dave realized his secret wasn't so horrible after all. The loss of his wife and daughter was tragic, and it would hurt for the rest of his life, but the beautiful revelation he'd had, in bed with Edie, was that he wasn't alone. There were people in the world that understood his pain, and with help he'd be able to deal with that pain, even if at times it seemed impossible.

Edie woke up and felt Dave's arm around her waist, his body pressed up against hers. It meant so much to her. They'd both stayed. She'd never seen a man break down so completely, at least not that close up. No man had ever stuck around long enough to bare that much of his soul to her. She always thought it would make them less somehow, or make them unattractive to her. She thought it should have frightened her, but the opposite was true. His flaws were as beautiful to her as hers were to him, especially seen from the inside out, and she found it comforting. Now there was no more hiding, and no more guessing. Each knew exactly where the other was coming from, every issue they dealt with and how it might affect everything they say and do.

They'd shared all of their darkest secrets in one night. On any other day, with any other couple, it might have been too much to handle all at once. For Dave and Edie, it meant the hard part was over. Holding hands, making love and being together was what would heal them. No reason to go back to Fairview and face the past. The future was open to them now, and the only way for them to go was forward.

Edie turned over to face Dave. Their eyes met as she settled back down. Her head rested on her pillow, and they searched each other's faces for a clue about what they were thinking. Dave could only think of one thing to say.

"Good morning. I hope."

Edie smiled, gently stroking the side of his face with one hand.

"It is." she said. "It's a very good morning. How do you feel?"

"Different." Dave said. After a moment of thought, he added to his answer. "Better." It was the truth. "You?"

"Those two words sum up the way I'm feeling perfectly." said Edie. Dave responded by moving over her, kissing her lips. They'd only known each other one day and one night, but he could no longer call her a stranger. He felt love for her already. Edie felt it too, and when their good morning kiss ended they wrapped their arms around each other and squeezed.

"I want to be with you." Dave said softly. He raised his head so he could look into her eyes again. He'd been praying that she felt the same. "There's a flight leaving from the airport in two hours. It's supposed to take me to the next city on my tour. If you tell me you want to be with me too I'll cancel the whole thing."

It was a romantic thought, but Edie was not an optimist lately. Not like Dave. It was hard for her to see a happy ending, no matter how she felt in the moment. All the times she'd dared to hope, she'd been hurt. The intensity of the night she shared with Dave was starting to catch up with her, and the pessimist in her heart was starting to make excuses.

"Dave..." Edie said carefully. "I think you should cancel your tour regardless of how I feel about you."

It was a fair and level headed bit of advice. Dave nodded, intending to follow it.

"And?" he said with an upbeat smile. "How do you feel about me?"

_Maybe we're only meant to spend this one night together, so we can save each other. Maybe wanting more will ruin everything we achieved. _

_And maybe you think too much._

Edie thought about what to say, but all her maybes did was lead her in circles. Thinking about love never got anyone anywhere. When it came to love, there was doing and not doing. You either opened your heart, or you didn't. Edie remembered then that her heart was already open. He'd already been inside of her. There was no going back.

"I want to be with you too." said Edie. "But I'm scared." Total honesty.

"So am I." said Dave. "So we might as well be scared together. Right?"

Edie reached up with both hands to touch the sides of Daves face. She'd never met anyone like him. His smile was sincere, and he talked about jumping into a relationship with her like it was just so easy.

Could life really be that easy? Edie wondered. Dave answered her with his smile, without saying a word.

Just be honest, smile, and _let _it be easy.


End file.
